Carbery Junior A Hurling Championship

The Carbery Junior A Hurling Championship (known for sponsorship reasons as the RCM Tarmacadam Carbery Junior A Hurling Championship) is an annual club hurling competition organised by the West Cork Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association and contested by the top-ranking junior clubs in West Cork, Ireland, deciding the competition winners through a group stage and knockout format. It is the most prestigious competition in West Cork hurling.

Introduced in 1925 as the West Cork Junior Championship, it was initially a straight knockout tournament. The competition went through a number of format changes since then, including the introduction of a back-door or second chance for beaten teams. The competition took on its current format in 2022, adding a round-robin group stage and limiting the number of entrants.

In its current format, the Carbery Junior Championship begins with a group stage in late summer. The 12 participating teams are divided into three groups of four and play each other in a round-robin system. The two top-ranking teams in each group proceed to the knockout phase that culminates with the final. The winner of the Carbery Junior Championship, as well as receiving the Flyer Nyhan Cup, also qualifies for the subsequent Cork Junior A Hurling Championship.

The competition has been won by 13 teams, 12 of which have won it more than once. Clonakilty are the most successful team in the tournament's history, having won it 18 times. Ballinascarthy are the title holders, defeating Kilbree by 0–22 to 1–16 in the 2025 final.

Format

Group stage The 12 teams are divided into three groups of four. Over the course of the group stage, each team plays once against the others in the group, resulting in each team being guaranteed at least three games. Two points are awarded for a win, one for a draw and zero for a loss. The teams are ranked in the group stage table by points gained, then scoring difference and then their head-to-head record. The top two teams in each group qualify for the knockout stage.

Knockout stage Quarter-finals: Two lone quarter-finals featuring the four lowest-placed qualifying teams from the group stage. Two teams qualify for the next round.

Semi-finals: The two quarter-final winners and the top two highest-placed qualifying teams from the group stage contest this round. The two winners from these games advance to the final.

Final: The two semi-final winners contest the final. The winning team are declared champions.

Relegation The two bottom-ranked teams from the group stage take part in a playoff, with the losing team being relegated to the Carbery Junior B Hurling Championship for the following season.

Teams

2025 Teams The 12 teams competing in the 2025 Carbery Junior A Hurling Championship are: Team Location Colours Position in 2024 In championship since Championship Titles Last Championship Title Ballinascarthy Ballinascarthy Red and whiteRunners-up?82025 Clonakilty Clonakilty Green and redQuarter-finals?182023 Diarmuid Ó Mathúna's Castletown-Kinneigh Blue and goldChampions?62024 Dohenys Dunmanway Green and whiteGroup stage?42013 Kilbree Rossmore Blue and whiteQuarter-finals?22018 Kilbrittain Kilbrittain Black and amberJunior B champions2025121985 Newcestown Newcestown Red and yellowSemi-finals?92014 Randal ÓgDunmanwayYellow and greenQuarter-finals20230 — St Colum's Kealkill Black and orangeGroup stage?0 — St James' Ardfield Green and goldSemi-finals?0 — St Oliver Plunketts Ahiohill Black and whiteGroup stage202412011 St Mary's Enniskean Black and goldQuarter-finals?0 —

Qualification for subsequent competitions

The South West Junior Hurling Championship winners qualify for the subsequent Cork Junior A Hurling Championship. from 2017 to 2019, the South West finalists qualified for the county series.

Trophy

The winning team is presented with the Flyer Nyhan Cup. A native of Clonakilty, John "Flyer" Nyhan (1892-1934) was a member of some excellent Clonakilty teams which contested the county middle grade hurling final in 1912, won the county intermediate football title in 1913 and then won the prestigious South Coast Railway Shields in both football and hurling in 1914. The cup was presented for the first time in 1961.

Roll of honour

By club # Club Titles Runners-up Championship wins Championship runners-up 1 Clonakilty 18 8 1939, 1943, 1944, 1945, 1946, 1950, 1952, 1961, 1962, 1976, 1977, 1983, 2004, 2012, 2015, 2017, 2020, 2023 1926, 1947, 1949, 1954, 1955, 1979, 1980, 2009 2 Courcey Rovers 15 5 1947, 1948, 1951, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1970, 1973, 1974 1950, 1958, 1961, 1962, 1972 3 Bandon 13 9 1929, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1937, 1949, 1960, 1971, 1975, 1990, 1995, 1999, 2009 1932, 1940, 1941, 1968, 1969, 1984, 1991, 1997, 1998 4 Kilbrittain 12 14 1925, 1926, 1927, 1928, 1930, 1938, 1940, 1941, 1942, 1978, 1984, 1985 1929, 1931, 1933, 1939, 1957, 1959, 1965, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1981, 1982, 2002, 2005 5 Newcestown 9 8 1967, 1969, 1972, 1979, 1980, 1988, 1991, 1992, 2014 1963, 1964, 1970, 1989, 2003, 2004, 2007, 20226 Ballinascarthy 8 6 1989, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2025 1966, 1971, 2001, 2017, 2018, 20247 Barryroe 7 5 1981, 1982, 1986, 1987, 1994, 2006, 2007 1985, 1992, 1996, 1999, 2000 8 Diarmuid Ó Mathúna's 6 5 2001, 2002, 2005, 2008, 2010, 2024 1983, 1993, 2006, 2014, 20159 Dohenys 4 9 1958, 1959, 1963, 2013 1936, 1937, 1938, 1960, 1974, 1975, 2010, 2011, 201210 O'Donovan Rossa 3 8 1931, 1932, 1933 1928, 1943, 1944, 1945, 1946, 1948, 1956, 2008 Argideen Rangers 3 3 1993, 1996, 2003 1990, 1994, 1995 12 Kilbree 2 2 2016, 2018 2019, 2025 13 St. Oliver Plunkett's 1 0 2011 —14 St Mary's 0 5 — 1942, 1978, 1987, 2020, 2021 St. Colum's 0 3 — 1986, 2013, 2016 Knockavilla 0 1 — 1927 Valley Rovers 0 1 — 1930 Timoleague 0 1 — 1934 Darrara 0 1 — 1935 Ballydehob 0 1 — 1951 Bantry Blues 0 1 — 1952 Ballineen 0 1 — 1953 Round Towers 0 1 — 1967 Randal Óg 0 1 — 1988 St James'01 —2023

List of finals

List of Carbery JAHC finals Year Winners Runners-up# Club Score Club Score2025Ballinascarthy0-22Kilbree1-162024Diarmuid Ó Mathúna's1-14Ballinascarthy1-12 2023 Clonakilty 1-17 St James' 0-11 2022 Ballinascarthy 1-25 Newcestown 1-11 2021 Ballinascarthy 0-22 St. Mary's 0-14 2020 Clonakilty 2-17 St. Mary's 0-19 2019 Ballinascarthy 2-18 Kilbree 1-11 2018 Kilbree 1-18 Ballinascarthy 2-12 2017 Clonakilty 2-21 Ballinascarthy 1-16 2016 Kilbree 3-07 St. Colum's 0-12 2015 Clonakilty 4-14 Diarmuid Ó Mathúna's 0-08 2014 Newcestown 0-16 Diarmuid Ó Mathúna's 0-10 2013 Dohenys 4-09 St. Colum's 1-09 2012 Clonakilty 3-13 Dohenys 2-14 2011 St. Oliver Plunketts 2-15 Dohenys 0-12 2010 Diarmuid Ó Mathúna's 3-12 Dohenys 1-15 2009 Bandon 1-10 Clonakilty 1-09 2008 Diarmuid Ó Mathúna's 0-09 O'Donovan Rossa 0-07 2007 Barryroe 3-12 Newcestown 0-06 2006 Barryroe 0-16 Diarmuid Ó Mathúna's 2-05 2005 Diarmuid Ó Mathúna's 0-11 Kilbrittain 0-08 2004 Clonakilty 1-11 Newcestown 1-08 2003 Argideen Rangers 0-13 Newcestown 1-06 2002 Diarmuid Ó Mathúna's 1-09 Kilbrittain 0-07 2001 Diarmuid Ó Mathúna's 0-15 Ballinascarthy 0-05 2000 Ballinascarthy 0-12 Barryroe 0-09 1999 Bandon 0-17 Barryroe 1-12 1998 Ballinascarthy 6-07 Bandon 1-10 1997 Ballinascarthy 0-15 Bandon 0-10 1996 Argideen Rangers 3-14 Barryroe 2-15 1995 Bandon 4-07 Argideen Rangers 1-15 1994 Barryroe 2-08 Argideen Rangers 2-04 1993 Argideen Rangers 2-07 Diarmuid Ó Mathúna's 0-08 1992 Newcestown 0-12 Barryroe 0-06 1991 Newcestown 2-10 Bandon 4-03 1990 Bandon 1-08 Argideen Rangers 0-10 1989 Ballinascarthy 1-09 Newcestown 0-07 1988 Newcestown 3-10 Randal Óg 1-04 1987 Barryroe 1-11 St. Mary's 1-04 1986 Barryroe 1-10 St. Colum's 0-03 1985 Kilbrittain 3-16 Barryroe 1-05 1984 Kilbrittain 2-12 Barryroe 0-08 1983 Clonakilty 3-09 Diarmuid Ó Mathúna's 2-10 1982 Barryroe 2-09 Kilbrittain 2-04 1981 Barryroe 5-04 Kilbrittain 1-05 1980 Newcestown 2-16 Clonakilty 1-11 1979 Newcestown 2-08 Clonakilty 2-04 1978 Kilbrittain 3-13 St. Mary's 2-04 1977 Clonakilty 1-11 Kilbrittain 2-05 1976 Clonakilty 2-09 Kilbrittain 2-05 1975 Bandon 6-08 Dohenys 1-06 1974 Courcey Rovers 6-11 Dohenys 1-04 1973 Courcey Rovers 1-11 Kilbrittain 0-05 1972 Newcestown 5-07 Courcey Rovers 2-04 1971 Bandon 3-13 Ballinascarthy 2-05 1970 Courcey Rovers 3-06 Newcestown 0-09 1969 Newcestown 2-09 Bandon 2-08 1968 Courcey Rovers 1-09 Bandon 1-06 1967 Newcestown 3-06 Round Towers 1-04 1966 Courcey Rovers 5-11 Ballinascarthy 1-04 1965 Courcey Rovers 4-10 Kilbrittain 1-06 1964 Courcey Rovers 3-06 Newcestown 2-03 1963 Dohenys 3-06 Newcestown 2-07 1962 Clonakilty 5-03 Courcey Rovers 4-05 1961 Clonakilty 6-08 Courcey Rovers 6-01 1960 Bandon 4-09 Dohenys 1-02 1959 Dohenys 4-09 Kilbrittain 0-01 1958 Dohenys 4-03 Courcey Rovers 3-03 1957 Courcey Rovers 6-05 Kilbrittain 3-03 1956 Courcey Rovers 6-05 O'Donovan Rossa 2-04 1955 Courcey Rovers 3-02 Clonakilty 3-01 1954 Courcey Rovers w/o Clonakilty scr. 1953 Courcey Rovers 4-07 Ballineen 3-03 1952 Clonakilty 2-07 Bantry Blues 2-05 1951 Courcey Rovers 3-03 Ballydehob 3-05 1950 Clonakilty 6-04 Courcey Rovers 3-02 1949 Bandon 3-07 Clonakilty 1-04 1948 Courcey Rovers 9-00 Skibbereen 2-01 1947 Courcey Rovers 8-03 Clonakilty 3-02 1946 Clonakilty 9-08 Skibbereen 0-03 1945 Clonakilty 8-04 Skibbereen 3-01 1944 Clonakilty 3-03 Skibbereen 2-02 1943 Clonakilty 4-04 Skibbereen 1-01 1942 Kilbrittain 3-03 St. Mary's 2-04 1941 Kilbrittain Bandon 1940 Kilbrittain 5-00 Bandon 1-00 1939 Clonakilty 8-01 Kilbrittain 2-01 1938 Kilbrittain 4-07 Dohenys 2-04 1937 Bandon 1-05 Dohenys 2-01 1936 Bandon 9-04 Dohenys 2-01 1935 Bandon 6-01 Darrara 4-02 1934 Bandon 3-05 Timoleague 4-05 1933 Skibbereen 7-02 Kilbrittain 0-01 1932 Skibbereen 5-05 Bandon 2-03 1931 Skibbereen 1-06 Kilbrittain 1-01 1930 Kilbrittain 2-07 Valley Rovers 2-03 1929 Bandon 6-01 Kilbrittain 4-02 1928 Kilbrittain 5-02 Skibbereen 1-04 1927 Kilbrittain 7-01 Knockavilla 1-01 1926 Kilbrittain 3-04 Clonakilty 1-01 1925 Kilbrittain

Notes 1928 - An objection by Kilbrittain was upheld and a replay was ordered. 1940 - The first match ended in a draw: Kilbrittain 2-07, Bandon 3-04. 1951 - An objection by Courcey Rovers was upheld and they were awarded the title. 1982 - The first match ended in a draw: Barryroe 2-10, Kilbrittain 3-07. 1983 - The first match ended in a draw: Clonakilty 1-05, Diarmuid Ó Mathúna's 1-05. 1990 - The first match ended in a draw: Bandon 1-08, Argideen Rangers 0-11. 1999 - The first match ended in a draw: Bandon 2-21, Barryroe 6-09. 2000 - The first match ended in a draw: Ballinascarthy 1-13, Barryroe 2-10. 2001 - The first match ended in a draw: Diarmuid Ó Mathúna's 0-15, Kilbrittain 2-09. 2005 - The first match ended in a draw: Diarmuid Ó Mathúna's 0-14, Kilbrittain 3-05. 2006 - The first match ended in a draw: Barryroe 1-08, Diarmuid Ó Mathúna's 1-08. 2012 - The match ended in a draw and extra-time was played. 2024 - The first match ended in a draw: Ballinascarthy 0-13, Diarmuid Ó Mathúna's 0-13.

Records

By decade

The most successful team of each decade, judged by number of South West Junior Hurling Championship titles, is as follows:

1920s: 4 for Kilbrittain (1925-26-27-28) 1930s: 4 for Bandon (1934-35-36-37) 1940s: 2 for Clonakilty (1943-44-45-46) 1950s: 6 for Courcey Rovers (1951-53-54-55-56-57) 1960s: 4 for Courcey Rovers (1964-65-66-68) 1970s: 3 for Courcey Rovers (1970-73-74) 1980s: 4 for Barryroe (1981-82-86-87) 1990s: 3 for Bandon (1990-95-99) 2000s: 3 for Diarmuid Ó Mathúna's (2001-02-05-08) 2010s: 3 for Clonakilty (2012-15-17)

Gaps

Top five longest gaps between successive championship titles: 50 years: Dohenys (1963-2013) 36 years: Kilbrittain (1942-1978) 22 years: Newcestown (1992-2014) 21 years: Clonakilty (1983-2004) 19 years: Ballinascarthy (2000-2019)

Winners and finalists

The Double